Transitions

Sunday October 17 

Spitting rain, a  heavy grey overcast sky, we drove to Buckenham. 

As we approached Lingwood, a large Rolls Royce floated sedately towards us, before turning into the Kings Head Pub car park, where another in maroon was already parked. Continuing, a black Jaguar EType, a powder blue Morris Minor and several other, unrecognised, vintage cars went by. All sporting a small Union Jack out of the onside window. A club outing of some kind I guess. The car park was already crowded. At one time, an EType was my most wanted car. Sara and I sat in a red one in a Swansea car showroom window, waiting for Dad to negotiate a change of car. We pretended to be on holiday in it.

After the railway crossing in Strumpshaw, we came across a dozen cars parked in a grassy area. What was that about. There were several walkers, but not that many. 

Our first marsh viewing area is from the second level crossing, where we can pull off into a gateway.  Lush vegetation meant that all I could see of the geese was heads and necks.  I remarked that there were probably a lot of Pinkfeet spread over a wide area. A flock of Canadas was also obvious. On to the next gateway. Now I was able to scope many more geese, identifying three Barnacle Geese amongst the Pinkfeet. Genuinely wild birds? 

Suddenly, the flock catapulted into the air, there were thousands. It may not be unusual, but, we have never seen as many Pinkfeet here. The sky was black. Poor photos which give some idea of the flock's size.

 

The noise was tremendous, a real assault on the ears -  I love it.

Gradually, the geese returned, most of them dropping out of sight,  the other side of the Cantley beet factory bank. 

Eight Chinese Water deer around the eastern marsh, at least one more on the west.One Grey Heron, two Cormorants, a small flock of Skylark and a Marsh Harrier sporting two green wing tags looking like headlights. I wonder who has been tagging like this.

The Hide pool was full of noisy Greylag, several Shovellers, Lapwing, Mallard, Teal and Wigeon. A lone Dunlin, with a longish beak, had me puzzled for a while. Maybe an Alpina form. 

When we left, there was hardly a goose to be seen, what  a transition.